On May 18 and 19, Taylor Swift performed two sold out shows at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, signifying her return back into the limelight.
For the past decade, Swift has been one of the most influential artists in the music industry. With over 10 Grammy awards won, 30 million albums sold, and millions of fans worldwide, her impact on popular music is evident.
After multiple misguided headlines and personal attacks of character from the media in the last few years, Swift made the conscious decision to step away from the spotlight.
During this time away, Swift spent her time writing and recording her sixth studio album, “Reputation”, shining light on her personal experiences with the media and her love life.
“Reputation” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was the largest album sold in a week since Adele’s 2015 album, “25,” with 1.2 million traditional albums sold.
Prior to the release of the recent album, Swift wiped clean all of her social media accounts and started over brand new. Fans of Swift saw this as an ode to a specific lyric from her first single off the new album, “Look What You Made Me Do.” In the single Swift sings, “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to phone right now. Why? Because she’s dead.”
The song was a bold choice to be released as a single first, but it made a specific statement about her return. Swift wasn’t the same artist as before, this time around last year she was giving herself a chance to start over.
In order to celebrate the release of “Reputation,” Swift is currently embarking on a stadium world tour, with an attendance of over 75,000 fans a night.
Swift hasn’t been on tour since her “1989 World Tour” that ended in 2015.
The “Reputation Stadium Tour” will encompass Swift’s newfound confidence and ability to move past hurtful rumors. The set list of the concert has a handful of tracks from the current studio album. However, it has also been confirmed that she will sing ten songs from her past albums. So while Swift is embarking on this new journey on her already successful career, she is still honoring her past music that fans still deeply enjoy.
Swift is bringing two talented female musicians along on the tour as well. Camila Cabello, former member of Fifth Harmony, and Charli XCX will serve as the opening acts for the concert.
Swift’s performance in Pasadena this past weekend solidified her return for multiple reasons. Swift currently holds the record for the most sold out shows at the iconic Los Angeles venue, the Staples Center, with over 16. Her success in Los Angeles is apparent and has been for multiple years. As well, this was Swift’s first time performing at the Rose Bowl stadium and she successfully sold out both nights.
Many critics and artists view a musician’s success in Los Angeles as a trademark to their career. Despite her tarnished reputation, Swift still manages to stay successful in Los Angeles and breaking more of her impressive records.
Swift’s sixth studio album, “Reputation,” is available worldwide and online through streaming services.
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